India vs South Africa 3rd Test in Nagpur Highlights: Hosts End Day Two on Top, Need Eight Wickets to Win
On a day when 20 wickets fell, India dominated the proceedings by first dismissing South Africa for paltry 79, and then by giving them a 310-run target in the Nagpur Test. India need eight more wickets to clinch the four-match series, after reducing the Proteas to 32/2 in their second essay. Catch all the cricket scores and highlights from Day 2 here.
The second day of the Nagpur Test saw 20 wickets fall as India took control of the match. After dismissing South Africa for 79 in the first innings, India scored 173 in the second to give visitors a target of 310 with more than three days of play left. (SCORECARD | NEWS | VIDEOS)
But the Proteas lost wickets of Stiaan van Zyl and Imran Tahir as they ended the second day on 32/2, still requiring 278 runs to level series. It would be an uphill battle considering that South Africa's highest successful chase against India was 164/6 in Mumbai in 2000.
If India win the match then this will be their first series win under new captain Virat Kohli. If South Africa lose the series then this will be their first loss in an away Test series in nine years. ÂÂ
16:44 hrs IST: And that's it, it is end of Day Two in Nagpur Test. South Africa end the second day on 32/2. India need eight more wickets to win with 278 runs in hand.
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16:39 hrs IST: 20 wickets have fallen today. If South Africa lose one more wicket then it will be the highest number of dismissals on one day
16:35 hrs IST: WICKET! Amit Mishra has struck with his first delivery as South Africa are two wickets down. Mishra pitches the ball on the leg as Tahir misreads it and is struck on the pad. Umpire raises his finger as the South African looks surprised. Tahir lbw Mishra 8 (7)
16:33 hrs IST: Imran Tahir has been brought as nightwatchman. Will the ploy work or will India be able to scalp another wicket? Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashein have the answers but are not revealing them.
16:25 hrs IST: Missed chance! Murali Vijay puts down a difficult chance off Ravindra Jadeja to drop Dean Elgar. It would have been brilliant for the hosts to scalp two quick wickets before close of play.
16:21 hrs IST: Ashwin draws first blood! South African opener Stiaan van Zyl hits a mistimed drive to short cover and Rohit Sharma makes no mistake. van Zyl c Rohit b Ashwin 5 (29)
16:18 hrs IST: Ravindra Jadeja comes in to attack. Can he give India the important breakthrough? He has been phenomenal so far in the series when it comes to breaking partnerships.
16:16 hrs IST: South African openers are showing much caution. Still no sign by India captain Virat Kohli to use spinners from both ends.
16:08 hrs IST: South Africa will have to play 10 more overs. Can the Proteas survive till then without losing a wicket? The highest successful chase by South Africa is 164/6 in Mumbai in 2000.ÂÂ
16:00 hrs IST: Ravichandran Ashwin has been brought into attack. Can he make early inroads? He and Ravindra Jadeja have ample opportunities to rattle the Proteas. Ashwin picked five wickets in the first innings while Jadeja scalped four.
15:53 hrs IST: Indian fielders are on the ground. Ishant will start the attack for India. Today 18 wickets have fallen. The maximum wickets to fall in one day is 20 at Wankhede Stadium in 2004.
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15:42 hrs IST: WICKET! Imran Tahir picks his fifth wicket as he clean bowls Amit Mishra. Mishra b Tahir 14 (18)
That's it, India are all out for 173. South Africa need 310 to win. It is a very big total considering the nature of the pitch. The highest fourth innings total at the Jamtha Stadium is 206, scored by Australia in 2008.
15:36 hrs IST: WICKET! Morne Morkel strikes again, this time it's Rohit Sharma. The Indian mistimes his flick and is caught by Elgar at mid-on. Rohit c Elgar b Morkel 23 (39)ÂÂ
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15:22 hrs IST: Rohit Sharma is guiding the Indian tail well. Now Amit Mishra hits a four off Imran Tahir to take India's lead past 300.
15:12 hrs IST: WICKET! Morne Morkel brought back to attack and he strikes immediately by dismissing Ravichandran Ashwin. Morkel found him plumb in front. Oh! some exchange of words there between the two team's players. Ashwin lbw Morkel 7 (22)
15:10 hrs IST: Rohit was included for this Test in place of Stuart Binny. It's time for him to deliver on the trust shown on him by the team management. So far he has looked good.
15:02 hrs IST: Rohit Sharma is the only proper batsman left now after Jadeja's dismissal. The onus is now on him to take India's lead past 300. He has connecting with the ball well.
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14:51 hrs IST: WICKET! Ravindra Jadeja is bowled by Harmer. A shortish delivery takes Jadeja's inside edge to hit the stumps. Jadeja b Harmer 5 (6)
14:50 hrs IST: A very important development regarding the India-Pakistan series. The bilateral series in December has been confirmed by the BCCI.
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14:44 hrs IST: WICKET! Wriddhiman Saha scalped by Imran Tahir. It was a bizarre dismissal as the ball takes Saha's inside edge to hit Vilas' right boot and straight to Amla's hands at first slip. Third umpire was referred, who gave the decision in South Africa's favour. Saha c Amla b Tahir 7 (13)ÂÂ
14:42 hrs IST: Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja would be happy to see the amount of turn that Simon Harmer is getting from the Jamtha pitch. And Saha hits the bowler for a four to ease a bit of pressure
14:38 hrs IST: With two new batsmen on the crease, it will be interesting to see how they fare in the final session. The Proteas are using spinners from both end.ÂÂ
14:31 hrs IST: And we're back for the final session of Day 2 of Nagpur Test. Imran Tahir's spin rattled the Indian top-order just before tea. Now all responsibility lie with Rohit Sharma and Wriddhiman Saha to increase the hosts' lead.ÂÂ
14:28 hrs IST: Here's something interesting off the cricket pitch. World No. 1 Sania Mirza gave some tennis lessons to West Bengal's firebrand chief minister Mamata Banerjee during an exhibition match in Kolkata on Wednesday.
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14:20 hrs IST: After Murali Vijay's early dismissal, Shikhar Dhawan and Cheteshwar Pujara consolidated India's innings. But both departed to spinners while captain Kohli's struggles continued. Imran Tahir was the architect of the collapse as he dismissed Ajinkya Rahane, for his third wicket, just ahead of Tea.
However, with the hosts' lead almost touching the 250-run mark, it might be a very tough task for the Proteas in the fourth innings. Especially, with Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja at their peak. ÂÂ
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14:12 hrs IST: And it's tea with India on 108 for five. They have extended lead to 244 runs
14:08 hrs IST: WICKET! Rahane gone as Tahir gets his third wicket in four overs. The South African bowls a googly outside off as Rahane goes for a drive, but is caught by Duminy at short-third man. Rahane c Duminy b Tahir 9 (13) ÂÂ
14:05 hrs IST: Though India's lead is nearing 250, South Africa have some reason to cheer after two important wickets of Kohli and Dhawan. Imran Tahir the architect of the collapse.
13:59 hrs IST: WICKET! Virat Kohli goes for a lofted against Tahir but mistimes the shot as he is caught by Faf du Plessis at long-off. Kohli c du Plessis b Tahir 16 (30)
13:51 hrs IST: WICKET! What did Shikhar Dhwan do over there! Tries to go after Imran Tahir with a reverse sweep but edges to Vilas, who takes a simple catch. Dhawan c Vilas b Tahir 39 (78)
13:46 hrs IST: South African attack seems to have lost the sting. Imran Tahir has been brought into attack while Simon Harmer is bowling from other end, but there's no stopping Dhawan as he hits the latter for two consecutive boundaries.  ÂÂ
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13:36 hrs IST: South Africa captain Hashim Amla looks concerned and why would he not be as Dhawan and Kohli comfortably extend India's lead.ÂÂ
13:28 hrs IST: As India keep on piling runs, the troubles multiply for South Africa. Now Virat Kohli joins the party with a boundary against Morkel
13:20 hrs IST: India's lead crosses 200-run mark as Shikhar Dhawan hits JP Duminy for a four through mid-wicket. And the opener hits the spinner for a four again, this time through fine leg. Third boundary of the over, as Dhawan is on a roll
13:14 hrs IST: Virat Kohli is here and the India captain receives much applause from the fans. He scored 22 in the first innings, can he do better in the second?
13:07 hrs IST: WICKET! Cheteshwar Pujara bowled by JP Duminy. Just as the batsman was just starting to flourish with two consecutive fours, Duminy tosses a ball on leg, which drifts to hit the off-stump. Absolute ripper. Pujara b Duminy 31 (45)
12:58 hrs IST: Shikhar Dhawan dropped! The opener batting on 11 goes for a wild sweep against Harmer, but the ball takes top edge to fine leg. Dean Elgar, however, can't take the opportunity and misses a tough catch.
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12:50 hrs IST: India have bowled out opposition below 100 seven times. In the previous six instances, India have gone on to win five games. Their only loss came against New Zealand in Hamilton in 2002. Read more interesting stats here
12:43 hrs IST: While India eye their first home Test series win under captain Virat Kohli, big development happening regarding the proposed India-Pakistan series. Pakistan Cricket Board has got Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's Nod to Play India in Sri Lanka, according to reports ÂÂ
12:36 hrs IST: South Africa is using Morkel from one end and Simon Harmer from the other. The latter was their top wicket-taker in the first innings, with four scalps, but hasn't yet troubled the Indians in the second innings so far. However, on a pitch which is assisting spinners, he may be lethal.
12:30 hrs IST: Shikhar Dhawan has a lot to prove today. In the last five Test innings, the left-handed opener hasn't scored a single half-century. He started well in the first innings but couldn't convert it into big score. Dhawan has started well in the second innings too, but only time will tell how he fares. ÂÂ
12:22 hrs IST: Morne Morkel is clearly being troubled by the injury that he suffered on Wednesday. While he was bowling at 140s on Day 1, today he is clocking in the 120s. He is mostly relying on off-cutters, which has been effective though.
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12:11 hrs IST: WICKET! It's Morne Morkel again, who limped off the field on Wednesday, to come to South Africa's rescue. The ace pacer pitched the ball outside off as Vijay edged it to Hashim Amla at first slip, who took a good low catch. Vijay c Amla b Morkel 5 (15)ÂÂ
12:10 hrs IST: And we are back for the second session! The Indian openers are out while the South Africans take field. The visitors have a tough task ahead of them. All eyes will be on Simon Harmer and Morne Morkel to deliver the killer blows.ÂÂ
11:30 hrs IST: That will be lunch and India's lead is close to 150, a huge one considering the nature of the Jamtha track. It is safe to say that South Africa are in a deep hole and it will require something extraordinary from either the batsmen or the bowlers to salvage the situation.
11:21 hrs IST: The South African fielders are already deflated. They are staring at a huge deficit. Morne Morkel, who suffered an injury and did not bowl on day one, is bowling at a decent pace but is lacking venom.
11:12 hrs IST: Murai Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan have come out to bat. India hold all the aces and only a miracle can save South Africa.
11:02 hrs IST: It has been a woeful performance by South Africa. Only JP Duminy showed a bit of application but Ravichandran Ashwin and Ravindra Jadeja were simply too good. India have gained a 136-run lead and they will be aiming to further their advantage. One feels that they already have one hand on the trophy.
10:57 hrs IST: The end has come for South Africa. They have been bowled out for 79, which is their lowest score against India in Tests, beating the previous mark of 84 which was achieved in Johannesburg in 2006. Ashwin once again the chief destroyer with 5/32, his second five-wicket haul in this series and his 14th overall in just his 31st Test.
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10:46 hrs IST: Two loud appeals against Rabada and he survives on both counts. He plays inside the line to Ashwin and gets hit on the pad but the ball was probably going down the leg side. In the next over, Amit Mishra, bowling his first over, appeals for an LBW but the ball was possibly spinning too much.
10:39 hrs IST: WICKET! Ashwin is now level with Jadeja on four wickets and 16 wickets in the series. Harmer b Ashwin 13 (10).
Harmer looks to work it to the leg side but the ball comes on slowly, it hits the pad and rolls back onto the stumps. South Africa are 66/8 and they are staring down a dark barrel.
10:29 hrs IST: Drinks have been taken and India have absolutely dominated the first hour. South Africa are looking clueless and Jadeja is currently the leading wicket-taker in this series. Amit Mishra has not even come on to bowl.
10:20 hrs IST: WICKET! Unplayable stuff from Jadeja! Dane Vilas has no clue and he departs. Vilas b Jadeja 1 (15).
Flat delivery on leg stump, it spins away sharply and Vilas is totally beaten on the outside edge, the ball flattens off stump.
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10:15 hrs IST: Another chance? Ashwin gets this delivery to drift in and it spins away, Duminy gets the outside edge and the ball goes off Saha's thigh pad and past Rahane at slip.
10:12 hrs IST: Missed stumping! Wriddhiman Saha misses a stumping off Vilas. Two chances have been fluffed, both off Ashwin. He could have had another five-wicket haul.
10:04 hrs IST: Dropped! That would have been seven down. Duminy stabs Ashwin to silly point but the skipper Virat Kohli is unable to hold on.
10:00 hrs IST: Faf du Plessis' miserable run in Tests continues. Poor shot under the circumstances and JP Duminy is not a happy man. Faf du Plessis b Jadeja 10 (20).
Jadeja does not get this delivery to spin and it is on a good length, du Plessis looks to go down the ground but he misses and the ball knocks the off stump out. South Africa 35/6.
09:52 hrs IST: JP Duminy is looking in good touch. He starts off with a four off Ashwin and follows it up with a six off Jadeja. Can he help South Africa revive?
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09:44 hrs IST: WICKET! South Africa are falling apart here in Jamtha. AB de Villiers, their talisman, goes for 0. AB de Villiers c and b Jadeja 0 (6)
Jadeja gets this short delivery to spin away and it comes on sluggishly to de Villiers, the batsman looks to work it to the leg side but gets a leading edge and the bowler takes the catch.
09:39 hrs IST: WICKET! They are tumbling like ninepins and have no clue against Ashwin. The Mighty Hash continues to endure a horror tour. Amla c Rahane b Ashwin 1 (10).
Ashwin tosses this delivery up and it comes on slowly, Amla is a bit too early with the sweep and the ball hits the back of the bat, it lobs off Wriddhiman Saha's shoulder and Rahane at slip takes the catch.
09:34 hrs IST: WICKET! What a great start for India. It is a terrible ball from Ashwin but luck is still with him. Dean Elgar b Ashwin 7 (35).
Ashwin gets his carrom ball awry and it is wide outside off, Elgar goes for the cut but drags it back onto the stumps. He is absolutely gutted and he has to drag himself back to the pavilion.
09:30 hrs IST: Ravichandran Ashwin to start off proceedings with two slips and silly point in place. Immediately, he troubles Dean Elgar with sharp spin. The visitors will have to do a lot of work
09:20 hrs IST: A warm welcome to day two of the second Test between India and South Africa from Jamtha in Nagpur. The visitors will once again be facing a massive trial by spin with the likes of Ravichandran Ashwin, Amit Mishra and Ravindra Jadeja ready to spin a web. The onus is on Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers to revive South Africa. If Amla can play a knock similar to the one which he played in 2010, it could be a match-turning one.
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Hashim Amla is probably facing the challenge of his life. In February 2010, Amla had scored an undefeated 253 in Nagpur to fashion South Africa's innings and six-run win against India. If the out of form South African skipper can produce half of that monumental effort once again, the Proteas will live to fight in this series.
Thursday will be a battle between South Africa's wobbly batting and India's spin troika of Ashwin, Jadeja and Amit Mishra. The Nagpur wicket is loaded in favour of the spinners and off-spinner Simon Harmer's four for 78 will be inspiration enough for the Indian tweakers.
At stumps on day 1, Dean Elgar (seven) and Amla (nought) were unbeaten at the crease with South Africa, who trail the four-Test series 1-0, still 204 runs behind.
Former India captain and leg-spinner Anil Kumble feels Nagpur will be a bigger challenge for the South Africans than the Mohali Test that ended in three days. The Proteas will surely have a prayer on their lips when they come out to bat.